Emotional Consequences to Broadcast Television
Community is an imperfect show. but I love it, and I already miss it. it follows 7 characters as they navigate collage growing with each other and eventually becoming a family or I guess maybe you could say a Community. whilst the show changes alot throughout its 6 seasons it still has a similar heart. some episodes are struggles to get through, but others are masterpieces in storytelling and homage (Remedial Chaos Theory, Fist Full of Paintballs, Messianic Myths and Ancient Peoples, Repilot, Basic Intergluteal Numismatics to name a few). Community doesn’t try to be perfect and that’s why it works so well, it understands that not every episode needs to be an amazing commentary of chance or a clever discussion of mental health. it is happy to make a random episode about Pottery or Foosball. it’s because of this when it chooses to make an amazing commentary on chance that it becomes such a good episode.
in broad strokes Community often falls on its face (The Gas Leak Year) however if you look at it more detailed it fall on its face less. Community often undercuts serious moments with humour this can work in its favour but not always (my main issue with the series finale), it also struggles to make commitments, the first seasons main plot is a will they won’t they about britta and jeff. this dynamic also appears with several other character however the show never commits. at the end of season 2 Pierce leaves the study group only to re-join almost immediately in the opening of season 3, it feels like the only reason they did this was to leave us on a cliff-hanger on if Pierce would come back. even when they do commit to something such as Chang joining the study group it isn’t made to be a big thing unlike the prior episodes would make you feel.
in saying this tho there is clear character development in the main 7 characters. (spoilers incoming) Jeff stops being a dick and learns how to care for people and stop always trying to be cool, Troy grows up and decides he wants to try take on the world, Pierce becomes a better human accepting people of all races and sexuality and standing up to his father’s wishes, Abed learns how to understand humans and stops thinking about everything as a tv show becoming a regular albeit strange member of society. Annie probably has the most character development Growing up from an intelligent and caring teenager who want to be independent into an intelligent and caring adult who gets help when she needs it whilst also not relying on it. Britta, yeah, I’ve got nothing on Britta. (I’m also an idiot who can’t quite figure Shirley’s out but she has it it’s just not exactly clear).
Community is an excellent series that occasionally hits some rough patches however as a character piece it is marvellous. this is best shown in the best episode of community, Remedial Chaos Theory. the plot is incredibly simple, troy and abed host a housewarming party where they play Yahtzee, but when the pizza arrives at the door they need someone to leave to get the pizza, Jeff decides they should roll a dice. each number plays out a slightly different timeline with a different member going to get the pizza, in the sequence their absence it felt by the story ending differently.(which I’m not going to go into but there are hundreds of excellent video essays about it online) there is only one location; troy and abeds new apartment, seven characters; Jeff, Britta, Annie, Shirley, Pierce, Troy, Abed, and one changing cause; who gets the pizza. the episode excellently shows the heart of community being it’s 3 dimensional character’s.
Overall Community is an imperfect show that wears it heart on it’s sleeve and I’m sure I will revisit it for years to come
